State Senate Democrats retain their supermajority

In this May 29, 2012, file photo, Assemblyman Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, talks with Assemblywoman Kristen Olsen, R-Modesto, during the Assembly session in Sacramento. Hueso won Tuesday's special election for the 40th District Senate seat vacated by Juan Vargas, who was elected to the House of Representatives last November.RICH PEDRONCELLI, AP

Why it matters

With a supermajority, or two-thirds of the votes, Senate Democrats could raise taxes, pass emergency legislation, override gubernatorial vetoes and put constitutional amendments before voters without Republican cooperation.

SACRAMENTO – Democrats will regain their two-thirds majority in the state Senate while temporarily keeping their narrow supermajority in the Assembly after Democratic candidates advanced in two special elections Tuesday.

With all precincts reporting, Assemblyman Ben Hueso, a Democrat from San Diego, led the race for the 40th Senate District seat with 52 percent of the vote.

If the margin holds, it would again give Senate Democrats the 27 votes they need to maintain the supermajority.

In the 32nd Senate District race, the top two vote-getters are heading to a May 14 runoff.

Democratic Assemblywoman Norma Torres of Pomona led with 44 percent of the vote after all precincts reported. She will face Ontario Mayor Paul Leon, a well-funded Republican who trailed with 26 percent of the vote.

The runoff means Torres will maintain her Assembly seat, ensuring Democrats a supermajority in that chamber at least until mid-May.

Democrats make up nearly half the voters in both districts, with about 28 percent registered Republican and a fifth of voters having no party preference.

"We fought an uphill battle with very little assistance," said Leon, estimating that he raised about $200,000 from his family, friends and local businesses to compete against Torres. "We're going to go after the funding it takes to put on a competent campaign."

Democrats won two-thirds majorities in both houses of the Legislature last fall, but margins in both chambers are narrow and tenuous while a merry-go-round of vacancies and special elections continues.

If Torres beats Leon for the Senate seat in May and leaves the Assembly, Democrats will be temporarily short of the 54 seats they need in that chamber for a supermajority. Moreover, they will lose Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Sherman Oaks, in July, when he leaves to join the Los Angeles City Council.

But Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker John Perez, D-Los Angeles, downplayed the significance. "The speaker has said since Election Day that it's not going to make that much difference. He'll continue to work with Republicans," Maviglio said.

Tuesday's special elections were called to fill the seats of Democratic Sens. Gloria Negrete McLeod, Chino, and Juan Vargas, San Diego, who resigned to take the congressional seats they won last fall.

A third vacancy was created last month when Sen. Michael Rubio, D-Bakersfield, resigned to take a job with Chevron. The special election in the Central Valley's 16th Senate District will be May 21, with a special runoff election on July 23 if no candidate wins a majority in the primary.

Senate Democrats also could lose Sen. Curren Price, D-Los Angeles, in July if he wins a May 21 runoff election for a Los Angeles City Council seat.

Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book said he expects that Democrats in both chambers will regain their two-thirds margins this fall or early next year.

In this May 29, 2012, file photo, Assemblyman Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, talks with Assemblywoman Kristen Olsen, R-Modesto, during the Assembly session in Sacramento. Hueso won Tuesday's special election for the 40th District Senate seat vacated by Juan Vargas, who was elected to the House of Representatives last November. RICH PEDRONCELLI, AP
In this Jan. 22 photo is Ontario Mayor Paul Leon at a news conference in Ontario. Leon, a Republican, received 26 percent of the vote in Tuesday's special election to fill the 32nd District Senate seat, and will face Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Pomona, in a May 14 runoff. THOMAS R. CORDOVA, AP
In this Feb. 16, 2012, file photo, Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Pomona, poses in her Capitol office in Sacramento. Torres received 44 percent of the vote in a special election for the 32nd Senate District seat. She will face Ontario Mayor Paul Leon, a Republican, who received 26 percent, in a May 14 runoff election. RICH PEDRONCELLI, AP

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